UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- The U.N. Security Council Thursday decided to end its observer mission in Syria, Gerard Araud, France's ambassador to the United Nations, said.
Araud, the president of the Security Council, announced the decision three days before the mission's mandate was set to expire, The New York Times reported. He also said the council approved Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's request to maintain a smaller U.N. liaison office in Syria.